The "DEALER"

[ZzTop]

The "DEALER"

When buying a Hot Tub the DEALER can make all the difference.

After the Sale you will need advice on how to treat your water to get the right balance.  
Your Dealer should be able to test your water and tell you exactly what chemicals and proportions you need to properly balance your water.

You should check your water yourself daily for Ph and Sanitizer levels, (especially if you are new at it or your tub has had a heavy bather load), and have your water checked by taking a water sample to your Dealer monthly.

This is a service that is available to you by your Dealer free of charge.  (At least it is with Beachcomber Dealers.)
This is one reason it is nice to have a Dealer close by.

I have no idea how people who buy hot tubs from Big Box Retailers or off the Internet, test their water for hardness and alkalinity without the help of the sophisticated testing equipment that the Dealer has.

I cannot stress how important it is to keep your water correctly balanced.  Water that does not maintain the correct hardness and alkalinity can seriously damage your heater and hot tub and may even invalidate your warranty.  Of course the other reason is that having the correct amount of sanitizer is critically important to your health.

Note: Do not rely on an Ozinator alone.  Some sanitizer is always needed to maintain safe water.  The advantage of ozination is that less (chemical) that is sanitizer (chlorine or bromine), is needed to handle the bacterial load.

Most test kits only test for Ph and Sanitizer level not Alkailinity and Water hardness (Calcium), never mind TDS (total dissolved solids}, iron, copper, clarity and algae.

If you have installation questions, your Dealer should be able to advise you.  ie:  Foundation, electrical requirements, wire sizing, amperage of the GFI, and delivery.

Delivery;   It is best to contract the Dealer to deliver and set up..  Hot Tubs weigh between 500 to 800 lbs.  If there is any damage to the Hot Tub, it will be his problem, not yours.  There can be a real challenge in getting your tub to where you want it.  It may involve a crane or the removal of a fence or other obstacles.

Electrical:  Generally it is best to have your Electrician wire and connect your Hot Tub after installation so that he knows the exact location to wire to.  You may also want a 120 V GFI outlet to run peripherals such as a stereo or TV.

Start up can sometimes be problematic and it is nice to rely on your Dealer for information and help.  The Dealer should come out to advise you on water balancing and general operating questions.

Warranty Service; Your Dealer should be there for you for the entire warranty period and long after.

Tip:  After you become familiar with water care, buy your chemicals in the largest sizes available.  It is generally cheaper to buy in large sizes.

This all adds up to peace of mind in the Total Ownership Equation of owning and operating a Spa.

Happy Tubbing,


Regards Zz


:)No I am not a Dealer!  Just a happy Beachcomber owner [/color]

[wmccall]

I disagree with testing PH daily.  Or maybe you should till you get it right. Mine doesn't vary that much over a week's time.   I usually get mine above 7.2 initially and it stays there for 3-4 weeks before I have to worry about bringing it up.

[Brewman]

I check my PH weekly, which is when I also check my sanitizer level.  Once it gets dialed in, it doesn't seem to drift much.  
Brewman

[doodoo]

ZzTop.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your latest post. I am uncertain but this seems like the 3rd or 4th post that provides a superb general picture concerning some element of hot tubs, be it purchasing, maintanance, etc...

I also love the tweaks you have inserted like the scroll bar at the bottom. Way cool.  

[ZzTop]

I disagree with testing PH daily.  Or maybe you should till you get it right. Mine doesn't vary that much over a week's time.   I usually get mine above 7.2 initially and it stays there for 3-4 weeks before I have to worry about bringing it up.

I agree, however for someone new or when you have a heavy bather load it is still a good idea.

[Lori]

I tested daily for the first 3 months.  Noticed the patterns and now test weekly.

Some conditions will vary my testing frequency.  Yesterday, I came home to a bunch of leaves and grass in my tub (had been covered all day) but when I looked closely, I noticed my service tech had come out and switched the skin on my cover!  My rip is gone!!!

Now I know, the dirt and stuff in my tub came from the cover being off!  I gotta remember to call and thank him!  Nice surprise!  Although, I tested my water to make sure the chemicals were right to deal with the extra "stuff" in the tub.

[Chas]

You know, I was hoping that would happen. (The cover)

Good deal.

As far as testing daily: I joke with my customers that the test strips we provide have 'only 50 strips' in the tube, so it will 'only last them a couple of weeks.' Funny thing is, it's true!

After the first few months, a tube can last closer to a year.

I'm a once - in a while tester myself. My 15 year-old daughter and I both have developed the 'nose' to tell if our tub needs Dichlor and spa down without the strips. Not everyone can do this, but we can. I did pool and spa service for a decade, and she is just plain brilliant. Good looking too. And polite, modest, caring, loves my wife and Me, repectful, self-motivating, uh OK, I'll stop...  

[Lori]

Not proud of the daughter, are ya?  

(It is nice to hear!)

Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised!  I guess they either finally got a call to someone else in my area (so they could combine the trip) or they got tired of waiting and just did it!

They are great people!!!  (Even if they did quit selling HotSpring, well spas in general!)

[Shut_Down_Stranger]

Nope. this is basic water chemistry, generally taught in high school or freshman year in college.


the basics,

alkalinity is the buffering capacity of water, or how much acid is required to reduce the pH to 4.0

pH is the amound of hydrogen ions

hardness is the combined calcium and magnesium

disinfectant residuals vary, but can be tested easily.

algae should not be present  

having insufficent alkalinity will not damage your tub, but it will make your water more suspect to changes in pH.  and too low of pH would not be a good thing. Suffient levels of calcium in water generally reduces corrosion potential as well.